A/78/180 III. Protection of the labour and human rights of migrant workers A. Introduction 11. Globally, there are 281 million migrants worldwide, 2 including approximately 99 million male migrant workers (58.5 per cent) and 70 million women migrant workers (41.5 per cent). 3 Approximately 73 per cent of all domestic workers are migrant women, representing nearly 12.7 per cent of all women migrant workers. 4 Migrants, regardless of status, have contributed an estimated $702 billion in remittances in 2020, 5 alongside significant unmeasured contributions to societies through their work and participation in communities around the globe. Migrant labour has been central to the growth of the global economy. However, the human and social development returns of such contributions may be undermined if migrants are working in precarious or unsafe conditions that can have long-term consequences for their health and well-being. 12. Longstanding structural drivers of migration for the purposes of work, such as inequality and lack of economic opportunity, remain persistent alongside new drivers such as climate change. As the realities of work are changing, the growing flexibilization, contractualization and digitalization of labour are leading to more “temporariness” in both work and migration. Migrant workers are disproportionately impacted by such changes, with many experiencing unsafe work, exploitation, insecurity, violence and abuse, with often deleterious consequences for their physical and mental health. Particular groups of migrant workers face elevated risks, including women, LGBTIQ+ persons, migrants with irregular status, temporary labour migrants and other marginalized populations. Often there are multiple cross -cutting and intersecting forms of discrimination that further heighten exposure to labour and human rights violations. Across all stages of migration – in countries of origin, transit and destination – all migrants, regardless of status or citizenship, must have non- discriminatory access to productive, decent work in condit ions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. This requires fair income, pathways to secure employment and migration, safe working conditions with freedom to express concerns and to associate, as well as equal treatment before the law, and access to health care and social protection for workers and their families. B. International legal instruments and policy frameworks on human and labour rights of migrant workers 13. Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the inherent right to life with freedom from discrimination, access to health and the safety and security of the individual have been enshrined. These rights are further codified under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in conjunction with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. They apply to all migrants, regardless of legal or migration status, including the right to an adequate standard of living, health, personal integrity and freedom of movement. __________________ 2 3 4 5 4/21 Marie McAuliffe and Anna Triandafyllidou (eds.), World Migration Report 2022 (International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva, 2021). International Labour Organization (ILO), ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers: Results and Methodology, 3rd edition (Geneva, 2021). Available at www.ilo.org/global/topics/labour-migration/publications/WCMS_808935/lang--en/index.htm. ILO, ILO Global Estimates on Migrant Workers: Results and Methodology – Special focus on migrant domestic workers. Available at www.ilo.org/global/topics/labourmigration/publications/WCMS_436343/lang--en/index.htm. McAuliffe, World Migration Report 2022. 23-13823